Steam bath apparatus



Sept. 29, 1964 s. H. REICH STEAM BATH APPARATUS Filed Sept. 26, 1962INVENTOR 2 GlLBERT H. REICH BY Z ATTORNEY FIG.

United States Patent 3,158,333 STEAM BATH APPARATUS Gilbert H. Reich,1082 E. Linden, Richmond Heights, Mo. Filed Sept. 26, 1%2, Ser. No.226,287 3 Claims. (Cl. 4-162) This invention relates to improved steambath apparatus and its installation in a bathing receptacle such as abathtub.

Steam bath units heretofore in use have been relatively large, complexunits of apparatus, essentially unsightly as apparatus and in theirmethod of installation. Some have subjected the user to the possibilityof burning from concentrated jets of steam.

The purpose is to provide a steam bath installation which is entirelyconcealed, so that, except for its manually set timer, there is no addedapparatus in the bathroom. A still further purpose is to provide a safeinstallation which will introduce steam in a diffused manner and willautomatically drain hot condensate from the steam. Other purposes willbe apparent from this specification.

As applied to installation within a bathtub or similar bathingreceptacle, the present invention consists generally of a system inwhich the steam supply is connected to the tubs regular overflow shoe.As steam enters the overflow shoe, any hot condensate drips harmlesslyinto the drain of the overflow shoe. The steam issues from the overflowshoe through the tubs overflow outlet against the front of the platewhich conceals the outlet. The plate difluses its flow to the edgeopenings of the plate.

Preferred embodiments of the apparatus and installation are illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which:

FlGURE 1 is a view partly in section of a steam bath unit incorporatingthe present invention and showing its installation in the overflow shoeof a bathtub.

FIGURE 2 is a sketch showing the relation of such installation to thebathtub and its drain.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 33 of FIGURE1.

FIGURE 4 is a rear View of the overflow outlet plate as seen along line44 of FIGURE 1.

The steam generator which may be of the conventional type, is showndiagrammatically in FIG. 1 and is generally designated 10. Leading fromthe steam generator there is shown a steam supply line 20. Also,operatively connected to the generator 10 is a manually set timer 28which may be installed in the bathroom for controlling the generation ofsteam from the generator it).

The entire generator unit is small, being only about one and one-halffeet in length, and of such light weight that it can be readilysupported in any position convenient for installation. A typicalinstallation might be on a shelf in the basement beneath a bathroomfloor.

An electrical heating element (not shown) is controlled by a relay andswitch generally designated 27. The manually set timer 28 installed inthe bathroom, is a conventional time switch element and controls therelay and heater switch 27.

When the timer 28 is set to the time interval selected on the dial shownin FIGURE 1 (the time being indicated in minutes), it actuates the relayand switch 27 to conduct electricity through the heating element whichis immersed below the level of the water in the tank 10. A water levelcontrol (not shown) maintains the water level substantially as shown inthe small tank, as it is rapidly heated to form steam. As the steamemerges at atmospheric pressure, it is conducted through the steamsupply line to the bathtub or other bathing receptacle.

The installation of the present invention will be clear from FEGURES l,2, 3 and 4. A bathtub generally designated 30, preferably of the typehaving a sliding door enclosure (not shown), includes a slightly slopingforward tub wall 31 having in its upper portion an overflow outlet 32which establishes the overflow level for the tub. The outlet 32 willusually be a circular aperture in the tub wall 31, connected on the sideoutwardly of the tub (normally concealed in a wall, not shown) to anoverflow shoe 33 whose edge 34 is sealedly attached around the overflowoutlet 32 by a sealing washer 35. The shoe 33 may be secured against theoverflow opening 32 in any convenient manner, as by screws 36 inthreaded holes 37 in the overflow shoe edge 34. The heads of the screws36 hold the overflow outlet plate 38, which has a face portion 39 insidethe tub 30. This face portion 3 is spaced inwardly from the forward tubsurface 31 by a series of flanged legs 46, spaced from each other aboutthe periphery of the plate 38. The edge of the plate 33 between suchlegs 49 is thus spaced from the tub surface 31 to provide a series offlow-conuntmicatine openings 41 which alternate with the series of legs40.

These details are best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, which show also how theplate 33 hingedly supports a spring-restrained drain control lever 42,which extends aft of the tub to the center of the overflow shoe 33,where it is connected by a lateral pin 43 to a vertically descending tubdrain control rod 44, having an arm 45 through the tub drain 48, bywhich arm the tub stopper 46 is raised or lowered.

If the tub is filled above the level established by the overflow opening32, water will flow from the tub through the plate openings 41 andoverflow opening 32 into the overflow shoe 33 and down the verticaloverflow drain 47 which connects to the lower end of the shoe 33.

The steam supply line is installed, in the present invention, bythreading into the overflow shoe 33 above the overflow level establishedby the opening 32, a horizontal steam inlet 51, which is the finalportion of the steam supply line 2%. The level of its connection to theshoe 33 is above the overflow level established by the opening 32.Should the tub 30 be filled to the overflow level, none of the overflowwater will enter into the steam inlet 51.

In steam bath installations, introducing the steam into the bathingenclosure involves two proslems: (l) The danger that the user may beburned by a jet of steam; and (2) The danger that a user may be burnedby dripping condensate from the steam.

The installation here shown solves both of these problems. Anycondensate which forms in the steam supply line 20 drips harmlessly intothe shoe 33 and down its drain 47. Any condensate which may form at theplate 38 will drain harmlessly down the forward tub wall 31. There is nodanger of burning from a jet of steam, because the plate 38 acts as adeflector and ditfuser, turning the steam, as shown by the arrows inFIGURES 1 and 3, so that it emerges along the tub surface 31, diffusedby the spacing of the plate edge openings 41. The openings 41 arepresented partly downward and partly upward.

The combined area of the openings 41 is greater than the cross sectionalarea of the steam supply line 2%. Since the steam enters the line 29 atabout atmospheric pressure and its supply is somewhat lessened bycondensation, and since the remaining steam is diffused through thelarger area of the openings 41, its rate of flow is slowed. This tendsto permit circulation of part of the convection air along the innersurface of the plate 38. The steam, introduced difiusedly along the tubsurface 31, is circulated upward in and around the enclosure (not shown)by the upward flow of convection air past the face portion 39 of theoverflow outlet plate 38.

Apparently for these reasons the plate 38 has remained unexpectedlycool, despite the fact that it serves as a defiector and difinser forthe steam. As a further protection to the bather, the projecting draincontrol lever 42 itself serves as an effective barrier to prevent theuser from inadvertently touch it.

One of the unique advantages of the present invention is that a steambath installation may be made without any showing of steam inlets,protective baflies, or condensate drains. As illustrated, there isnothing visible in the bathroom to indicate the presence of a steambathing facility other than the convenient wall timer 28.

Modifications in detail and substitution of equivalent parts will occurto those familiar with the construction of steam generator units and theinstallation of steam baths. Accordingly, the present invention is notto be construed narrowly, but rather as fully coextensive with theclaims.

I claim:

' 1. A steam bath installation comprising a receptacle for bathinghaving an overflow outlet including an overflow shoe external of thereceptacle and a vertical drain for the shoe,

an overflow outlet plate having a face portion concealing the outlet andan edge including portions spaced from the surface of the receptaclewhereby to provide flow communication to the outlet,

, a steam supply source,

a steam supply line and a connection thereof into and in flowcommunication with the outlet shoe directly above the vertical drain ata level higher than the overflow level established by overflow outlet,

whereby steam vapor introduced into the shoe proceeds through the outletand is defiectably diffused by the coming so close to the plate 38 as to7 plate and introduced to the bathing receptacle through the plate edgeopening so that condensate formed in said supply line drains harmlesslyinto said vertical drain.

2. A steam bath installation as defined in claim 1,

the plate edge opening being presented partly downward and partlyupward,

whereby steam so introduced is circulated upward by 'a flow ofconvection air within the bathing receptacle, and

the plate is cooled by the effects of such convective How.

3. A steam bath installation as defined in claim 2,

the steam supply source being of a type which supplies steam atatmospheric pressure,

the edge openings of the plate being greater in area than the area ofthe steam supply line,

whereby to permit convection air to circulate in part along the innersurface of the plate.

References Cited in the'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS I985,134 Bernesser et al Feb. 28, 1911 1,010,469 Weaver Dec. 5, 19111,466,895 Edelman Sept. 4, 1923" 1,849,175 Clark et al Mar. 15, 19322,122,620 Nystrom July 5, 1938 2,505,656 Wagner Apr. 15, 1950 2,886,689Garth May 12, 1959 2,902,580 Lowe et al Sept. .1, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS729,970 France May 3, 1932

1. A STEAM BATH INSTALLATION COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE FOR BATHING HAVINGAN OVERFLOW OUTLET INCLUDING AN OVERFLOW SHOE EXTERNAL OF THE RECEPTACLEAND A VERTICAL DRAIN FOR THE SHOE, AN OVERFLOW OUTLET PLATE HAVING AFACE PORTION CONCEALING THE OUTLET AND AN EDGE INCLUDING PORTIONS SPACEDFROM THE SURFACE OF THE RECEPTACLE WHEREBY TO PROVIDE FLOW COMMUNICATIONTO THE OUTLET, A STEAM SUPPLY SOURCE, A STEAM SUPPLY LINE AND ACONNECTION THEREOF INTO AND IN FLOW COMMUNICATION WITH THE OUTLET SHOEDIRECTLY ABOVE THE VERTICAL DRAIN AT A LEVEL HIGHER THAN THE OVERFLOWLEVEL ESTABLISHED BY OVERFLOW OUTLET, WHEREBY STEAM VAPOR INTRODUCEDINTO THE SHOE PROCEEDS THROUGH THE OUTLET AND IS DEFLECTABLY DIFFUSED BYTHE PLATE AND INTRODUCED TO THE BATHING RECEPTACLE THROUGH THE PLATEEDGE OPENING SO THAT CONDENSATE FORMED IN SAID SUPPLY LINE DRAINSHARMLESSLY INTO SAID VERTICAL DRAIN.